Spanish Church Series No. 15: "Spanish Profile, " Palencia

Spanish Church Series No. 15: "Spanish Profile, " Palencia — John Taylor Arms. 1948–50.

Medium: etching. Dimensions: Platemark: 34.9 x 23.9 cm (13 3/4 x 9 7/16 in.); Sheet: 38.9 x 34.8 cm (15 5/16 x 13 11/16 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

The stone skin of the Gothic structures Arms admired was not inanimate but rather vibrant and alive to the artist. He sought not only to depict the physical appearance of his subjects but also to express their character. “A building possesses truly as does a human being, a skeleton, a covering of flesh, and clothing with which both are in turn covered, so also, and most poignantly, does it possess a spirit,” he wrote. “In the work of the great interpreters of architecture . . . men like Meryon, Piranesi, Canaletto, and Bone, it is this expression of the spirit of the subject . . . which makes them such enduring works of art.”

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.